CHAPTER 7: THE VOICE WITHIN

“I’m sorry you had to go through that by yourself. I can feel your pain and emptiness,” said the soft voice.

What the fuck! Shit. I forgot about that voice, I thought, jumping internally for the second time.

“I am not just a voice!” Cece snapped angrily.

Ooh, the kitty has claws. I chuckled.

Well, Cece, do you know how long we’re going to just lie here, wherever we are? I asked her.

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t have any idea how long. I sense some of the ingredients that made up the poison primarily wolfsbane, but I don’t know enough about the other ones to determine how much longer we’ll have.”

I hope someone took our blood. It would be nice to replicate the paralytics they used. It’d be a great addition to my torture bag.

What is wolfsbane? I asked.

“Wolfsbane is a plant that weakens most shifters. It also weakens their animals, so they can’t talk to their human half. It doesn’t affect us because of the type of animal we are and—no, it’s not time for you to know that yet,” explained Cece.

Curiosity got the best of me. So, have you always been here? Might as well learn what I can about her. I was starting to actually believe in this madness.

“Yes, I was always here, but I could never talk or interact with you,” she said in her soft voice.

Okay… how does that work?

How did you know we were dormant when I didn’t?

“How did you know you were a human when you were born?” she replied. “I know what I am, the same way you know what you are. I just couldn’t talk to you about it. Think of it like I’m just along for the ride. And no—you can’t get rid of me.”

Then, with a teasing growl in her voice, she added, “You’re stuck with me, baby.”

Ok, simmer down there, tiger.

We both chuckled.

Can you tell me about wolf shifters?

I’m pretty sure they’re what attacked me since they seemed too intelligent for wild animals.

Do they live in communities or alone? How does their society work? Also—why did they attack me?

I was literally about to leave when they attacked.

“Sure. Wolf shifters are similar to wild wolves. They live in packs, and there’s an Alpha who runs the pack. His mate becomes the Luna. Beta is second in command. They take care of the pack when the Alpha is away. Delta is third in command—they look after the rest of the pack and report issues to the Alpha. Lastly, the Gamma is the best warrior in the pack. They protect the Luna when she’s away from the pack, and when she’s within the pack, they oversee training and patrols. Everyone else is either a warrior or just a pack member. Omegas are the weakest and typically handle the upkeep of the pack house,” Cece explained.

I was surprised she answered me. I thought she would not answer or not be as forthcoming with the information.

What’s in the pack house? Now I was getting curious to know all about this supernatural world.

“The pack house is usually the biggest house on pack lands. The Alpha, Beta, and their families live in it, along with their offices and a large gathering area.”

What is the Luna responsible for?

“The Luna oversees the pack house, prepares for and takes care of any guests that arrive. She works with the women and children of the pack. She’s supposed to be the caregiver, and protector when needed.”

Is that what Amelia is?

Also, what do you mean by ‘supposed to be’?

“Yes. Amelia is the current Luna. The Luna is like a mother to all. They love, guide, and protect their pack. However, there have been Lunas who just wanted the title and abused their power. You, though… You would make an amazing Luna.”

That shocked the shit out of me.

I am not a mother. Not a protector. Not family material.

I work and live alone. I don’t want to be responsible for anyone ever again.

“You are a protector. And you have a good heart. Even though you’ve killed people, they were truly bad. You do your research. You make sure you don’t hurt the innocent. You always ensure they’re out of harm’s way before taking action. You don’t judge based on opinion—you base it on facts. You stand up for the little guys who can’t stand up for themselves.” Cece said with no judgement in her tone.

I was lost in thought.

It was a lot to process… and it was starting to wear me out.

This poison is no joke.

“I can feel you’re tired. Get some rest.”

Fine—but not because you told me to.

“Of course.”

The last thing I heard while drifting off was her soft chuckle.

I woke up to voices outside the room just before the door opened.

“Carl, will you carry our guest to the Alpha’s shared chambers? Anastasia is insisting on taking this room since it’s the only one available. The Alphas won’t be back for a couple more days from their meeting. Thankfully, the youth gathering will be over by then, so Anastasia will have to move to the guest rooms. We’ll move our guest back here before the Alphas return,” Luna Amelia commanded.

She sounded irritated—made me wonder who this Anastasia was to get under our nice, calm Luna’s skin.

“Anna,” she continued, “please gather all her things and place them on the couch in the Alpha’s shared chambers.”

I heard someone approach and gently lift me into their arms.

Carl.

He smelled like disinfectant and hospital.

I tried to mentally track the path he was taking in case I needed to return to this room. He took a right after leaving the door, and the hallway felt a little cooler.

We didn’t go far. About twenty steps, then Carl opened a door down the hall.

The first thing I noticed was the scent.

It smelled… good. Warm. Safe. Home.

Cinnamon. Freshly cut grass. The smell of rain. Woodsy notes.

A strange mixture—but they were all my favorite smells.

The second thing I noticed was Cece… squirming?

“Cece, is everything okay?” I asked her.

She’s usually calm and still. This was… weird.

“I think so. These scents… they feel familiar. Like… home. I can’t explain it, but they feel important. Something’s about to change in our lives,” she said with a confused tone.

I’ve had enough change to last me a lifetime. No, thank you.

The deeper Carl carried us into the room, the stronger the scents became. He laid me on a new bed—softer than the last. Somehow, I could feel it was bigger too.

Then I heard more shuffling—probably Anna with my things and Luna Amelia following.

“Thank you, Carl and Anna. Let’s let our guest rest. Prepare the other room for Anastasia,” said Luna Amelia.

I heard the quiet thuds of things being set down. Then they all left and closed the door behind them.

Any update on the poison healing? I asked her when we were alone.

“I can feel it starting to wear off. Being in this room helps… somehow. There’s still enough poison left to stop me from healing us, but by tomorrow, I should be able to finish healing us.”

Well, that’s good.

We talked for a while longer until I finally drifted off to sleep.